Chapter 5 Summary: Collins Takes the First Step
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Collins wakes on Clarke’s couch after pepper-spraying Brady the night before. Clarke brings breakfast and insists Collins keep her 9 a.m. appointment at Brady’s upholstery shop. Clarke lends her an outfit, and while Collins eats, she presses for details about Brady—learning he moved to Sweetwater Peak about a year ago for a fresh start and that Clarke trusts him. Collins notices a ghost orb near the front door; Clarke dismisses it as a non‑communicative spirit from the previous owner. Collins nearly confesses that her ability to see ghosts has faded over the past year, leaving her feeling adrift, but holds back. She reflects on her stalled photography career and the lies she tells her parents to keep them from worrying. Clarke drives her to Coop’s Upholstery. Collins arrives five minutes early, waits until 8:59, then enters. Brady greets her warmly despite his still‑red eyes. They reintroduce themselves, Brady jokes about the pepper‑spray incident, and they shake hands to begin a tentative working relationship.
Key Events
- Collins wakes to Clarke’s cheerful breakfast and learns she must go to work at Brady’s shop at nine.
- Clarke lends Collins black clothes; Collins observes a ghost orb but does not discuss her fading abilities.
- Collins recalls her past photography success and her current creative drought—a well that “ran dry over a year ago.”
- Clarke drops Collins at Coop’s Upholstery; Collins waits outside until precisely 8:59 before entering.
- Collins and Brady meet again; their handshake lingers awkwardly, and Brady jokes about the pepper‑spray incident.
- The two agree to start the workday, setting aside the previous night’s chaos.
Character Development
Collins Cartwright – This chapter reveals Collins’s inner turmoil. She has lost her ability to see ghosts—a defining part of her identity—and has been “floating away from [her]self.” Her once‑thriving photography career has stalled, yet she hides this from her family. She sees herself as a “wind” that blows in and out, making messes, in contrast to her sister’s steady “rock” nature. Her guilt over pepper-spraying Brady and her reluctance to connect with her parents show a woman afraid of being seen as a failure.
Clarke Cartwright – Clarke is practical, organized, and protective. She runs interference with their parents, vets Collins’s new roommate, and gently pushes Collins to face her responsibilities. She also has her own rules with ghosts—she never speaks first—indicating a more controlled approach to their shared gift.
Brady Cooper – Brady shows patience and good humor. Despite red, irritated eyes, he greets Collins with a tilted smile and jokes about consulting “Dr. Google.” His firm handshake and callused hands hint at hard work, and his comment about a “fresh start” suggests he, too, has a past he’s left behind.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Fading Gift / Loss of Identity – Collins’s inability to sense ghosts mirrors her broader feeling of drift. She equates the silence with a “void” and wishes she could still hear the low buzz of the spirit world. This loss connects to her stalled photography career: without her talent, she doesn’t know who she is.
Guilt and Hiding – Collins feels guilt about pepper-spraying Brady, and deeper guilt about lying to her parents about her success. She fears “dropping the moon directly on their heads” if she tells the truth. The ghost she doesn’t talk about—both the literal orb and her own secret—symbolizes the unspoken truths in her life.
Home as Contradiction – Collins describes Sweetwater Peak as both charming and eerie, loved and hated. The town’s chipped paint and empty storefronts mirror her own sense of decay and decayed dreams. Her return home forces her to confront what she’s been running from.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter establishes the core emotional conflict of Collins’s arc: she has lost the two things that defined her—her ghost‑seeing gift and her photography career—and is too afraid to admit it to anyone. Her reunion with Brady also plants the seed of a relationship built on a fresh start, paralleling his own reasons for moving to town. The chapter deepens the reader’s understanding of the Cartwright family dynamics and the weight of expectation Collins carries. It also sets up the workspace (Coop’s Upholstery) as a setting where Collins will have to engage with both ordinary work and the supernatural—if her abilities ever return.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Collins decide not to tell Clarke that her ghost‑seeing ability is fading?
Collins is afraid of being seen as less than perfect. She already feels she doesn’t “measure up” to her bright, successful parents and sister. Admitting the loss would make her failure real, and she fears the pity or worry it might cause.
2. How does the description of Sweetwater Peak’s storefronts reflect Collins’s internal state?
Collins notes that half the charming storefronts are abandoned, with chipped paint and disrepair. This mirrors her own feeling of having once been vibrant and now being faded and neglected. The town’s “light and dark” duality parallels her own internal conflict.
3. What does the handshake scene reveal about Collins and Brady’s dynamic?
The awkward, lingering handshake shows that both are unsure how to reset after the pepper‑spray incident. Collins’s blush and Brady’s recovery suggest an undercurrent of attraction, but also mutual respect. Brady’s humor diffuses tension, while Collins’s self‑deprecation (“fuckup extraordinaire”) sets a tone of vulnerability.